I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor-Chapter 351: Return (3) - Edited
Chapter 351: Return (3)
Translator: Santos
Kang Woo-jin climbed into the black van parked at the entrance of Incheon Airport. Following him, a dozen members of his team also boarded, and soon the atmosphere inside the van became lively and noisy. Meanwhile, in one hand, Woo-jin held the trophy for "Best Actor" from Cannes, and as soon as he sat down, he turned his gaze out the window with a calm expression.
Outside, he could see hundreds of reporters, half-crazed, blocked by giant security guards.
- *Pabababababak!*
Even though Kang Woo-jin was already in the van, the relentless sound of shutters clicking filled the air. The shouts from the reporters were barely intelligible. Zombies? Woo-jin sighed internally.
*“Ugh, this is so annoying! Anyway, finally back in Korea! My home! It’s been a while since I’ve been in this van! I’m finally back!”*
On the surface, he appeared serious, but internally, Kang Woo-jin felt like dancing. For the outside world, it was a grand return, but for him, it felt just like coming home. He arrived in Korea around 3 PM, but it was now nearly 5 PM. The reason was simple.
*“I didn’t expect the interviews to last nearly two hours, really.”*
After his grand return, he had to spend almost two hours with the swarming reporters. Of course, he was surrounded not just by hundreds of reporters but also by a crowd of onlookers. If it were just him, the time might have been reduced a little, but with Director Ahn Ga-bok and actor Shim Han-ho from *Leech* present, the duration stretched longer.
*“Huh—what questions did I even get?”*
Kang Woo-jin had been bombarded with a barrage of questions from the reporters. Most of them revolved around the Best Actor award, his fluent French, Miley Kara, and the hidden meanings behind his acceptance speech. However, he couldn't quite remember the specifics. There was no particular reason to dwell on it.
At that moment.
- *Thud!*
The staff members in charge of tidying up, including Choi Seong-gun and Jang Su-hwan, jumped into the van. Choi Seong-gun signaled for departure. Thanks to him, the van that had come to a halt smoothly began to move, and the flashes from the hundreds of reporters surrounding the vehicle intensified.
About ten minutes later, the black van barely escaped the airport and was now cruising on the highway. The interior of the van remained boisterous.
“Wow—every search site is completely dominated by Woo-jin oppa!”
“That’s to be expected! The SNS is flooded with posts about Woo-jin oppa! But wasn’t the number of reporters at the airport a bit underwhelming?”
“I heard a few hundred more were in the external parking lot, but they couldn’t get in because of the crowd.”
“Oh! Articles about oppa’s return are starting to pour in!”
Choi Seong-gun, who had been cheerfully smiling in the front seat, added while looking at his phone.
“Ha-ha, Woo-jin. I expected this, but it’s exploded! This situation will definitely keep things buzzing for at least two weeks. Let’s take a good rest today and tomorrow, Woo-jin.”
“Sure.”
“I’d like to let you rest more, but there are schedules piling up, and because of Cannes, the itinerary will be stretched like crazy.”
“That’s fine. I managed to get some rest at Cannes.”
Kang Woo-jin replied simply and turned his gaze back out the window. Although he returned with results that went beyond national pride, his mind was filled with trivial worries unrelated to that.
*“What should I eat when I get home? I’m craving something super spicy. Kimchi jjim? Ah—jokbal is tempting too. Maybe just simple ramen? No, that’ll be the first round.”*
Choosing a celebratory menu for his return. Just then, as if another thought crossed his mind, Kang Woo-jin maintained his poker face and picked up his phone. He then spread around the photos of himself receiving the "Best Actor" award at the Cannes Film Festival that he had taken in advance. It was to notify family, friends, colleagues, and everyone who had reached out to him during this time.
Soon.
- *Brrr.*
- *Brrr.*
Numerous replies flooded in from Korea, Japan, and Hollywood.
At that moment.
- *Swish.*
Choi Seong-gun, who had just finished a call, turned his head back with a slightly serious expression. He locked eyes with the indifferent Woo-jin.
“Uh—Woo-jin, this is information conveyed by our main investor.”
He was referring to Chairman Hideki.
“Setting aside various trivial matters... you now have a private jet.”
Instantly, the eyes of the dozen or so people on Woo-jin’s team widened. Except for Woo-jin. He asked in a very low voice.
“...Are you talking about a private jet?”
“Yeah. You’ll be flying to Japan on a private jet from now on.”
Kang Woo-jin was internally elated.
*“What the hell! A private jet out of nowhere? Are you talking about that private plane I’ve only seen in movies?!”*
For him, the only “private jet” he had known was the hang glider he made as a child.
---
Meanwhile, on the airplane.
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In the business class of a plane soaring through the sky, a few familiar figures could be seen deep in sleep. Among them were some executives from Universal Movies, the Hollywood distributor and production company that attended Cannes, including Megan. The only one not asleep was a man sitting by the window: the famous producer, Joseph Pelton.
“......”
He rested his chin on his hand, gazing out the window. Unlike Kang Woo-jin, who moved quickly, Joseph’s team had stayed a few more days in France after the Cannes Film Festival ended. They were now on their way back to LA. Soon, Joseph lowered his gaze from the window. A thin stack of paper rested on his lap.
It was a synopsis or concept ideas from four Hollywood screenwriters.
He was sorting through different genres, including thriller, noir, crime action, and comedy, based on the motif of "Jekyll and Hyde" and incorporating dissociative identity disorder.
“I guess this is the way to go.”
He made the decision he had been contemplating before coming to Cannes. Once he returned to LA, he would dive into serious script work. However, the pace was much faster than usual. He had already assembled the main team, including Megan, and had compiled a list of directors beyond Danny Randis, who had increased the possibilities for actors, including Kang Woo-jin.
Then.
“Huh—”
Tall Joseph crossed his long legs and suddenly recalled Miley Kara’s presence. Specifically, it was their conversation at the Cannes afterparty, where she first approached him while watching Kang Woo-jin surrounded by various bigwigs.
“Joseph, I heard you’re preparing a project with Universal Movies.”
Joseph was slightly surprised by her sudden request for conversation.
“Miley, it’s rare for you to bring up a project first.”
“I tried to look into it, but there wasn’t much information. It’s probably still in the early stages.”
“That’s about right. But the team formation is 70% complete.”
“What about the director?”
“The list is confirmed. I’m particularly keen on that director Danny.”
A smile appeared amid Kara’s usual calm demeanor.
“Danny Randis—he doesn’t take on projects that aren’t based on his own scripts, right? At his level, he could throw money anywhere.”
“I’m trying. We raised possibilities during Cannes.”
“Huh—if Danny takes this on, it’ll definitely create quite a stir in Hollywood.”
Kara murmured, meeting Joseph’s gaze with her blue eyes.
“Let me know when the official synopsis comes out or when the first draft of the script is ready.”
Joseph’s eyes widened slightly.
“Really?”
Miley Kara, notorious for her high asking price and difficult to recruit in Hollywood. At least, it was the first time she had approached him to request a script. Joseph asked her.
“...Could it be because of Kang Woo-jin?”
Kara shrugged her shoulders.
“Not exactly. It’s because of his acting. I watched *Leech* and *Evil Benefactor*. It was the first time I felt fear from someone else's acting. I thought I was doing well, but after watching Kang Woo-jin, I felt lost. I even have a sense of respect for him.”
“It feels less like acting and more like a character playing in reality. Kang Woo-jin’s performance transcends method acting. It’s something higher than that.”
“I want to see that in a longer format, like in *Evil Benefactor*, not just briefly. That’s all.”
Joseph smiled broadly.
“Alright, if a script comes out worthy of sending, I’ll send it directly. Second best among actors. The first, of course, is Kang Woo-jin.”
Kara nodded, her voice dropping slightly.
“Casting Kang Woo-jin is a prerequisite. If you fail to secure him, don’t even think about sending it to me.”
At this point, Joseph returned to reality and the airplane, a deeper smile forming on his face.
“Somehow, it feels like the fate of the film depends on one actor.”
Soon, holding his phone, he muttered softly as he looked at something.
“With this level of influence, it’s worth taking a chance.”
What he saw was Kang Woo-jin’s name spreading globally, including Hollywood. Articles and
videos were circulating rapidly, along with people’s words and fingers. In fact, regarding Cannes, Woo-jin’s declaration had made his name frequently mentioned among the big shots from various countries.
Of course, in the birthplace of Cannes, France.
“With this level of French proficiency—first Korean actor to win Best Actor at Cannes. Did Kang Woo-jin return to Korea?”
“It has been confirmed that he has already arrived in Korea.”
“His performance in *Leech* continues to linger. Send a script to Kang Woo-jin right away, as soon as possible. Other directors have probably started working already.”
“Understood.”
Most of the prominent directors from various countries who approached Kang Woo-jin at the afterparty felt similarly. The ripple effect Woo-jin generated at Cannes was impressive, but the fact that he was fluent in both French and English intensified the excitement among the heavyweights.
On the other hand, there were mixed feelings in Hollywood.
“Is he aiming for the Academy Award next year? Hah—this Korean actor is getting a bit too ambitious.”
“Hasn’t there always been such actors? But now, no one remains. Winning Best Actor at Cannes is impressive, but the Academy Award is a whole different level.”
“I heard Danny praised him highly.”
“Danny? Hmm—he must have made quite an impression since Cannes broke its own rules to honor him.”
“I’m curious about what kind of actor he is.”
Kang Woo-jin’s acceptance speech had been quite provocative. It stirred the prideful figures in Hollywood. However, it also increased the level of interest in Woo-jin. Many directors viewed him positively, whether they were looking to ride the wave of the issue or were genuinely captivated by his acting.
“Ask if his agency can recruit him.”
“I’ve sent an email. I heard there are orders in LA as well.”
“Oh—then is it possible to call directly?”
“I’ll check.”
Kang Woo-jin was hot among the great directors of various countries.
---
The next day, Wednesday morning, the 13th.
The setting was Kang Woo-jin’s home. While the country and the world were buzzing about Kang Woo-jin, he was lying in bed, looking as lifeless as a mouse. The house was calm and quiet.
“......”
It was past 9 AM, but there was no sign that Woo-jin’s late sleep would end. It was as if he was trying to release all the fatigue accumulated over time. Of course, even at this moment, his phone was receiving numerous messages, but even Woo-jin’s phone remained silent. He had set it to silent mode.
After about an hour passed.
“Ugh—”
With one side of his head squished, Kang Woo-jin groaned like a zombie as he slowly rose from the bed. The rigid concept he had maintained was shed, and his current state was that of a natural person.
“......I slept like a log.”
Who would believe this mess was the winner of the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival? Anyway, Woo-jin got up, dazed for a moment, then grabbed his phone. He saw numerous missed calls, texts, chats, and DMs piled up and checked his missed calls first. Fortunately, there was nothing urgent. After tossing his phone back onto the bed, Woo-jin turned on the coffee maker and headed to the living room.
The first thing that caught Kang Woo-jin’s eye was—
“Wow—this is crazy.”
The trophies displayed on the living room desk. Among the awards he had received over time, the Best Actor trophy from the Cannes Film Festival he had won a few days ago was added. Woo-jin grinned at its imposing presence.
“Doesn’t it feel like it belongs to me?”
Feeling elated, something suddenly crossed Woo-jin’s mind.
“Oh, Miley Kara’s new album.”
It was a thought he had temporarily set aside in his daze. Miley Kara’s new album had been released worldwide yesterday. Soon, Woo-jin moved back to his bed to grab his phone. He immediately accessed YouTube. The official music video must have been released along with the new album.
However.
“Whoa—insane.”
There was no need to search. The video he was looking for appeared at the top of the trending list.
- *【alcoholism(feat. WooJin)】｜Miley Kara*
The music video for the title track of Miley Kara’s new album featuring Kang Woo-jin.
- *60,012,802 views / 22 hours ago*
It had surpassed 60 million views in less than 24 hours.
